Shooting stars
by flowers of ice
Summary: One summer night in Tai,Gyousou was doing his paperwork when Taiki interrupted him with a strange request: to watch shooting stars with him. How will Gyousou react to his request?


Disclaimer: I don't own Twelve Kingdoms. If I did, I'll be much richer.

It was originally intended as an entry for a fanfiction contest at Mediaminer but because my computer kept messing up when I tried to send it, it seems I have to give up on it. I feel a bit guilty for starting this when I'm supposed to be writing the chapters of Another night of drunkeness but I hope at least someone will like it.

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Once in the kingdom of Tai in the height of summer, Gyousou, the newly crowned king of Tai sat in his study, absorbed in his paperwork. The sun was setting and the room darkened gradually as he scribbled busily, but he was too busy to notice. All was quiet except for the sound of the mating calls of the locusts and the songs of the birds outside until Taiki rushed in, his hair tousled from running with a candle. He stopped, panting as he held up the candle to cast its flickering light on Gyousou's face so that his eyes could get used to the light after the dimness of the room. It was only then that Gyousou noticed how dark it was.

'What's the matter, Taiki,' Gyousou asked, blinking in the light from the candle, pausing in his paperwork to look at the little boy standing beside him.

'Gyousou sama,' Taiki said, a happy smile on his face. 'There's shooting stars and I want you to see them!'

Gyousou smiled and got up, noticing the stiffness in his limbs for the first time. Wincing slightly, he forced a smile. 'Let's go see those shooting stars, Taiki. If we're lucky, we may get to make a wish or two.'

The long walk to the window facing the sky was a relief for Gyousou, who was still rather stiff from spending the whole afternoon doing the paperwork. When they finally got to the window, they were still just in time to see the streaks of silver in the sky which were the shooting stars.

'If you are granted one wish, Taiki,' Gyousou asked. 'What will you wish for?'

'To be with Gyousou sama forever and ever!' Taiki tilted his head to look at Gyousou and asked curiously. 'And what about Gyousou sama?'

Gyousou thought for a moment. 'I don't know, Taiki.' he replied.

'But how can Gyousou sama not have a wish?' Taiki asked, shocked that Gyousou does not know what to wish for when his features suddenly brightened. 'I know!'

He fished around in his pocket for a while and found what he was looking for and held it up proudly. In the dying rays of the setting sun, Gyousou barely made out the dim shape of the seashell Taiki was so proud of when he found it on one of he and Keiki's many trips after he became king. He blinked, wondering what his young companion was up to.

'Isn't that the seashell you found the other day?'

Taiki nodded, stroking it lovingly.

'And what are you going to do with it, Taiki?' Gyousou asked.

'Someone told me once in Hourai that if I want something, I'll have to sacrifice something for it so I'll try throwing it in thepond outsideso that Gyousou sama can think of a wish!'

'You don't have to, Taiki.' Gyousou said, surprised that Taiki was willing to sacrifice his little treasure for him.

'But I want Gyousou sama to think of a wish!' Taiki said, pouting.

Gyousou thought for a while, reluctant to let Taiki sacrifice his little treasure for him when a solution presented itself to him.

'I know. How about I wish for something I don't want?'

Taiki pouted and made a face. 'But it wouldn't be the same as making a wish for something you really want!'

Gyousou sighed in resignation, his shoulders sagging slightly. 'You win. I guess I'll have to think of something I want then.'

Taiki's smile reappeared. 'Then I'll wait for Gyousou sama to think of something then.'

Gyousou tried again but failed miserably. 'I still can't think of anything.'

Taiki stared at the seashell still clutched in his hand and bit his lip. 'Then I'll throw it in the water then.'

He backed a few metres and before Gyousou could stop him, he ran towards the window at a speed Gyousou would never believe one so young could achieve but just before he could hurl it out of the window, he tripped on a stone and fell. As he fell, there was a sound of something breaking into pieces. When he recovered, he groped for the seashell, unable to see much because of the dim light only to find it in pieces. His lip trembled as he tried to hold back his tears and picking the tiny pieces of what used to be the seashell he treasured so much one by one, he walked slowly to the window and looked at the broken pieces for what seemed like an eternity before flinging them into the pond outside, watching as they caught the reflection of the last rays of the sunset in the water before sinking, leaving only little bubbles as they sank. It was only then when Gyousou knew what he wanted: for Taiki to be happy.

'Well, Gyousou sama,' Taiki said, his face wet with the tears which had somehow managed to leak as he wiped his face on his sleeve, not wanting Gyousou to see his tears. 'Have you thought about what you wished for yet?'

'Yes.'

Taiki smiled a sad smile as he beamed at Gyousou. 'And what is your wish? Even if the shooting stars cannot grant your wish, surely I can grant your wish. Right, Gyousou sama?'

Gyousou looked at Taiki fondly and patted his head. 'Well, my wish is for you to be happy.'

Taiki looked at Gyousou, disbelief in his large, dark eyes which were full of the kind of innocence which disappears with age. 'Really, Gyousou sama?'

Gyousou looked Taiki in the eyes and suddenly bent down to hug him, breathing in Taiki's warm, clean scent, not wanting to let go. 'Really, Taiki.'

The smell of summer, tinged with the tantalising smell of food from the kitchen wafted to them and Gyousou let go of Taiki reluctantly, his stomach growling.

'Let's go for dinner now, Taiki,' he said, stroking Taiki's dark shoulder length hair, marveling at its softness.

Taiki's stomach growled as well, a sign that he was hungry as well. 'All right then , Gyousou sama.'

Gyousou bent down and after scooping Taiki up, they went for dinner together with Gyousou giving Taiki a piggy back. Above them in the sky, shooting stars streaked across the sky as if racing each other while the stars twinkled brightly, as if Heaven itself was smiling at them.

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It's the first time I madea chapter so long and it's because I had to make it meet the minimum number of words. Please review.


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